Today (April 30) marks the second day of the third batch of Wang Fuk residents, residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House, to return upstairs and retrieve their belongings.
The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Tsang, Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Tsang, a resident of Wang Tai House, said he returned to his unit to collect valuables and sentimental items, including gold jewelry, his children's kindergarten graduation photos, and wedding photos. Although he hadn't received the photos of his unit's current condition, based on his preliminary understanding, his unit did not appear to be severely damaged.
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The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Tsang, Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Lo, Photo by Bastille Post
The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post
The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post
The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post
Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Lo, Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Lo, a resident of Wang Kin House, said his top priority upon going upstairs was to retrieve valuables such as gold jewelry, cash, and photos. He had received relevant notifications and believed his unit remained undamaged for now. He admitted he felt "very anxious yet eager to go up and take a look."
The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post
The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post
The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post
Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Photo by Bastille Post
Seven fire-affected buildings at Wang Fuk Court will be open to residents again for the retrieval of belongings from May 21 to 29. The first batch of residents to return is from Wang Tai House, Wang Sun House, and Wang Yan House. Each unit may be accessed by up to four residents, who may stay inside for up to three hours, with no restrictions on the number of entries and exits.
Wang Fuk Court, Photo by Bastille Post
Ms. Ho, a Wang Tai resident who has lived there since 1985, said she had already retrieved most of her belongings earlier. This time, she wanted to go through every corner carefully. "Since I have lived in Wang Fuk Court for so many years, I have a deep affection for every part of this place," she said. Despite the heavy rainfall today, she continued her retrieval as scheduled. "I want to take a second, careful look at my home."
Ms. Ho, Photo by Bastille Post
Mr. Wan, who has also lived in Wang Yan House since 1985, said his greatest wish this time was to retrieve a photo taken more than a decade ago - a picture of his father holding him in their family shop. He grew up in that store and treasures the memory. Mr. Wan revealed that during the previous retrieval, most of his home remained intact, and he had already recovered gold jewelry and the house deed. "I'd be satisfied just to get back a stack of photos this time," he said. Mr. Wan is currently living in government-provided transitional housing, though he believes the living environment needs improvement: "It's hard to cook, the bathroom is tiny, and when it poured yesterday, water leaked right through the ceiling."
Mr. Wan, Photo by Bastille Post
Mrs. Kwok, who lives on a lower floor of Wang Tai House, returned to her old home to retrieve her belongings. She packed up an undamaged umbrella — not particularly valuable, she admitted, but "better than nothing." She also recovered some small souvenirs and her son's Octopus card. Describing her mixed emotions, she said she was grateful to see her old neighbors again, yet could not hide her sadness in the face of the disaster. Choking back tears during the interview, she said, "I'm so grateful that so many people have come to help us. I'm very happy that I can come up again today and retrace the memories of the past." She added that she had known the family in unit 802 for many years and had watched their children grow up. She revealed that the neighbor's father had died in the fire and that many of the neighbors she knew also lost their lives. Mrs. Kwok said she is currently staying in Kai Tak, while her husband is temporarily living at their son's home.
Mrs. Kwok, Photo by Bastille Post
Wang Fuk Court, Photo by Bastille Post
Seven fire-affected buildings at Wang Fuk Court will be open to residents again for the retrieval of belongings from May 21 to 29. Photo by Bastille Post
